Photograph retention assembly

ABSTRACT

A photograph retention assembly, for holding one or more photographs, includes a retention member that includes a pair of opposed retention fingers. The retention fingers are moveable between an open configuration to receive one or more photographs therebetween and a closed configuration to retain the one or more photographs therebetween. Each retention finger includes a corresponding arm. Movement of one arm relative to the other arm moves the fingers between the open and closed configurations. The photograph retention assembly also includes a mount member that has an engagement formation. The engagement formation is cooperable with at least one arm to selectively secure the retention member and the mount member to one another.

This invention relates to a photograph retention assembly for holdingone or more photographs.

It is known to provide a conventional photograph album that comprises acover inside which is mounted a series of discrete pockets. A user caninsert a photograph into each pocket. In this way the conventional albumprovides protection to the photographs, and assists in readily viewingthe photographs.

However, one drawback with such conventional photograph albums is thetime-consuming and laborious manner in which it is necessary to preparethe album for use by inserting an individual photograph into eachdiscrete pocket.

There is, therefore, a need for an improved arrangement for holding oneor more photographs which is easier to prepare for use.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a photographretention assembly, for holding one or more photographs, comprising:

-   -   a retention member including a pair of opposed retention fingers        moveable between an open configuration to receive one or more        photographs therebetween and a closed configuration to retain        the one or more photographs therebetween, each retention finger        including a corresponding arm, movement of one arm relative to        the other arm moving the fingers between the open and closed        configurations; and    -   a mount member including an engagement formation cooperable with        at least one arm to selectively secure the retention member and        the mount member to one another.

The provision of a retention member allows a user to prepare theretention assembly for use, i.e. to load it with a plurality ofphotographs, in a single operation with the photographs immediatelyready to view.

Meanwhile cooperation between the retention member and the engagementformation allows ready securing of the or each photograph to the mountmember so as to permit easy storage of the photographs and/or theprovision of protection.

Optionally the retention fingers are biased towards the closedconfiguration. Biasing the retention fingers towards the closedconfiguration applies a gripping force to the or each photograph lyingbetween the retention fingers so as to retain the or each photographtherebetween.

Preferably the retention fingers are interconnected by a resilientlydeformable connection limb, the connection limb biasing the retentionfingers towards the closed configuration.

Such an arrangement provides a desired degree of biasing towards theclosed configuration while retaining one finger relative to the other.

The retention fingers, corresponding arms, and the connection limb maybe integrally formed with one another in a unitary body. Integrallyforming these elements in a unitary body assists in the readymanufacture of the retention member, e.g. by extrusion.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the mount member engagementformation is cooperable with both arms to selectively secure theretention member and the mount member to one another. Having a mountmember engagement formation that is cooperable with both arms improvesthe extent to which the retention member and the mount member aresecured to one another and helps to maintain the retention member in adesired orientation relative to the mount member.

Preferably cooperation of the arms with the mount member engagementformation further urges the retention fingers towards the closedconfiguration. Such further urging increases the gripping force appliedby the retention fingers to the or each photograph lying therebetween toreduce the likelihood of one or more photographs becoming separated fromthe retention member.

Optionally each arm is resiliently deformable and the mount memberengagement formation forces the arms further away from one another thantheir relative positions while the retention fingers are in the closedconfiguration. Such an arrangement utilises the resilience of each armto further urge the retention fingers towards the closed configuration.

Each arm may include an arm engagement formation that is mutuallycooperable with the mount member engagement formation to selectivelyengage the retention member with the mount member.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention each arm includes aprotruding formation and the mount member engagement formation includesa pair of corresponding recess formations, each recess formationreceiving the corresponding protruding formation.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention the mount memberengagement formation has a circular cross-sectional shape and each armextends more than one quarter of the way around opposing sides of theengagement formation.

The foregoing arrangements selectively secure the retention member withthe mount member while providing a user with a ready means of separatingthe retention member from the mount member to allow loading ofphotographs into the retention member.

Preferably the mount member includes first and second wings, each wingextending on one side of the engagement formation. The inclusion of suchwings protects the retention member during use and further inhibits, toa desired extent, separation of the retention member from the mountmember.

Optionally the mount member is fixedly secured to a cover. The inclusionof a cover allows the photograph retention assembly to provide a desireddegree of protection to the or each photograph.

There now follows a brief description of preferred embodiments of theinvention, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of a photograph retention assemblyaccording to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2( a) to 2(d) illustrate schematically part of a sequence ofloading photographs into the photograph retention assembly shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of a photograph retention assemblyaccording to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the photograph retention assembly shownin FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of a retention member shown in FIGS. 3and 4;

FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of a mount member shown in FIGS. 3 and 4;and

FIG. 7 shows an elevational view of the retention member and mountmember shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 in cooperation with one another.

A photograph retention assembly according to a first embodiment of theinvention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10.

The retention assembly 10 includes a retention mernber 12 that has apair of opposed retention fingers 14 which are moveable between an openconfiguration to receive a plurality of photographs 16, as shown in FIG.2( b), and a closed configuration to retain the plurality of photographs16 therebetween, as shown in FIG. 2( d).

Each retention finger 14 includes a corresponding arm 18.

The retention fingers 14 are biased towards the closed position and, inthe particular embodiment shown, are interconnected by a resilientlydeformable connection limb 20 which provides the desired biasing.

In the embodiment shown, the retention fingers 14, corresponding arms 18and the connection limb 20 are integrally formed with one another in aunitary body 22. The unitary body 22 and corresponding elements may beextruded from a plastics material, and a resiliently deformable plasticsmaterial in particular.

The retention assembly 10 also includes a mount member 24 that has anengagement formation 26. In the embodiment shown the mount memberengagement formation 26 is cooperable with both arms 18 to selectivelysecure the retention member 12 and the mount member 24 to one another.

Each arm 18 is resiliently deformable and the mount member engagementformation 26 forces the arms further away from one another (as shown inFIG. 1) than their relative positions while the retention fingers 14 arein the closed configuration (as shown in FIG. 2( d).

Each arm 18 includes an arm engagement formation 28 in the form of aprotruding formation 30, and the mount member engagement formation 26includes a pair of recess formations 32.

Each protruding formation 30 is mutually cooperable with thecorresponding recess formation 32, and in particular each recessformation 32 receives the corresponding protruding formation 30 toselectively engage the retention member 12 with the mount member 24.

The mount member 24 is fixedly secured to a cover 34. As shown, thecover 34 may include a spine 36 and a pair of leaves 38 each of which isfoldable relative to the spine 36.

To prepare the photograph retention assembly 10 for use, a user takes aretention member 12 lying in an inactive configuration (as shown in FIG.2( a)) and presses the arms 18 towards one another to move the retentionfingers 14 into an open configuration (as shown in FIG. 2( b)).

The user is then able to load a plurality of photographs 16 between theretention fingers 14, as shown in FIG. 2( c).

The biasing provided by the connection limb 20 urges the retentionfingers 14 towards one another and grips the photographs 16therebetween, as shown in FIG. 2( d).

The user then engages the retention member 12 with the mount member 24.This is achieved by abutting the arms 18 of the retention member 12against the engagement formation 26 of the mount member 24 and forcingthe arms 18 away from one another by continuing, to drive the retentionmember 12 towards the engagement formation 26.

Each protruding formation 30 is received in a corresponding recessformation 32 and the resilience of the, arms 18 maintains the protrudingformations 30 in engagement with the engagement formation 26.

In addition, the resilience of the arms 18 further urges the retentionfingers 14 towards one another to further increase the gripping forceapplied to the photographs 16 lying therebetween.

If desired the, user can remove one or more of the photographs 16 byreversing the aforementioned sequence. The user can also add one or morephotographs by repeating the corresponding steps of the said sequence.

A photograph retention assembly according to a second embodiment of theinvention is designated generally by the reference numeral 50.

The second photograph retention assembly 50 shares a number of featureswith the first photograph retention assembly 10 and these are designatedusing the same reference numerals.

The second photograph retention assembly 50 differs from the firstphotograph retention assembly 10 in that it includes a second retentionmember 52 and a second mount member 54, each of which has a differentcross-sectional shape to the corresponding members 14, 24 in the firstphotograph retention assembly 10.

The second retention member 52 includes a pair of arms 18 each of whichextends more than one quarter of the way around opposing sides of theengagement formation 26 of the second mount member 54.

The second mount member 54 includes first and second wings 56, 58. Thefirst wing 56 extends on one side of the engagement formation 26 and thesecond wing 58 extends on the other side of the engagement formation 26.Each wing 56, 58 protects the retention member 52 and further inhibitsseparation of the retention member 52 from the mount member 54, as shownin FIG. 7 (photographs 16 omitted for clarity).

The cover 60 of the second photograph retention assembly 50 is alsodifferent from the first cover 34 in order to accommodate theaforementioned first and second wings 56, 58. In particular, in thesecond cover 60 the spine 36 and each leaf 38 is separated by a leafinsert 62 which corresponds in size to the associated wing 56, 58. Theinclusion of such leaf inserts 62 allows the second cover 60 toarticulate about the wings 56, 58, as may be desired by a user duringuse.

A user prepares the second photograph retention assembly 50 for use inan identical manner to the first photograph retention assembly 10.

The user may also easily remove or add photographs from the secondphotograph retention assembly 50 in a similar manner as described abovein connection with the first photograph retention assembly 10.

1. A photograph retention assembly, for holding one or more photographs,comprising: a retention member including a pair of opposed retentionfingers moveable between an open configuration to receive one or morephotographs therebetween and a closed configuration to retain the one ormore photographs therebetween, each retention finger including acorresponding arm, movement of one arm relative to the other arm movingthe fingers between the open and closed configurations; and a mountmember including an engagement formation cooperable with at least onearm to selectively secure the retention member and the mount member toone another.
 2. A photograph retention assembly according to claim 1wherein the retention fingers are biased towards the closedconfiguration.
 3. A photograph retention assembly according to claim 2wherein the retention fingers are interconnected by a resilientlydeformable connection limb, the connection limb biasing the retentionfingers towards the closed configuration.
 4. A photograph retentionassembly according to claim 3 wherein the retention fingers,corresponding arms, and the connection limb are integrally formed withone another in a unitary body.
 5. A photograph retention assemblyaccording to claim 1 wherein the mount member engagement formation iscooperable with both arms to selectively secure the retention member andthe mount member to one another.
 6. A photograph retention assemblyaccording to claim 5 wherein cooperation of the arms with the mountmember engagement formation further urges the retention fingers towardsthe closed configuration.
 7. A photograph retention assembly accordingto claim 6 wherein each arm is resiliently deformable and the mountmember engagement formation forces the arms further away from oneanother than their relative positions while the retention fingers are inthe closed configuration.
 8. A photograph retention assembly accordingto claim 5 wherein each ann includes an arm engagement formation that ismutually cooperable with the mount member engagement formation toselectively engage the retention member with the mount member.
 9. Aphotograph retention assembly according to claim 8 wherein each armincludes a protruding formation and the mount member engagementformation includes a pair of corresponding recess formations, eachrecess formation receiving the corresponding protruding formation.
 10. Aphotograph retention assembly according to claim 8 wherein the mountmember engagement formation has a circular cross-sectional shape andeach arm extends more than one quarter of the way around opposing sidesof the engagement formation.
 11. A photograph retention assemblyaccording to claim 8 wherein the mount member includes first and secondwings, each wing extending on one side of the engagement formation. 12.A photograph retention assembly according to claim 1 wherein the mountmember is fixedly secured to a cover.
 13. (canceled)
 14. A photographretention assembly according to claim 6 wherein each arm includes an armengagement formation that is mutually cooperable with the mount memberengagement formation to selectively engage the retention member with themount member.
 15. A photograph retention assembly according to claim 7wherein each arm includes an arm engagement formation that is mutuallycooperable with the mount member engagement formation to selectivelyengage the retention member with the mount member.
 16. A photographretention assembly according to claim 9 wherein the mount memberincludes first and second wings, each wing extending on one side of theengagement formation.
 17. A photograph retention assembly according toclaim 10 wherein the mount member includes first and second wings, eachwing extending on one side of the engagement formation.